McDonald's betting on creative burgers to master Asian markets

In China and Japan, McDonald's has unveiled an array of creative hamburgers designed to appeal to "manly" men and those seeking a taste of America.

In TV spot that combines beef, bacon, and mashed potatoes, Chinese citizens were introduced to the company's "Mashed Potato Beef Burger." Newly added to the menu to appeal to "young urban meat lovers," this burger consists of two all-beef patties, bacon, lettuce, and a dollop of creamy mashed potatoes.

Meanwhile, the company's Japanese offerings include a series of limited-time only "Big America" burgers, named after famous locations in the US. The first burger offered was the Grand Canyon, topped with an Egg McMuffin-style egg patty, two types of cheese, crispy onion bits, and a smoky soy sauce. The Grand Canyon has since been retired to make room for the new Las Vegas, which is topped with an onion salsa and a cream cheese sauce.

Coming soon are the Broadway and Beverly Hills burgers. The Broadway will be available later this month, and comes with mixed vegetables, pastrami-style bacon, and a mustard/cream cheese drizzle, while the Beverly Hills comes piled high with guacamole and Caesar salad dressing.

News of these strange-to-the-American-palate burgers from Asia comes hot on the heels of similar news from France. Earlier this year, the French/Belgian fast food chain Quick offered burgers with either a Jedi or Sith twist, the latter of which came on a pitch black bun.

If the first two months of the year are any indication, 2012 will be an interesting year for creative burger fans in Asia and around the globe.